Steamboat, Colorado is ideal for adventure, shopping, soaking, relaxing and more. Discover the best places to stay, where to eat, and recommended activities for a winter weekend getaway in this quaint, yet bustling ski resort town!
Steamboat Colorado Vacation
Recently I was in Denver for business so I convinced my husband to join me in Steamboat Springs for an adventurous weekend in February. Since this year we took the plunge into becoming Ikon pass holders, riding Steamboat Mountain seemed like a great destination to check off the list!
We left Denver in the afternoon and arrived in Steamboat 3 hours later. Since we used to live in Denver, I knew the trek “up the hill” could sometimes become a little slow going if weather sets in. Luckily we had a clear driving day and arrived with no issues.
Of course, this is something you can’t count on in the winter months. Therefore, if you are traveling from Denver I do recommend renting an all-wheel drive or 4X4 vehicle for peace of mind. Also, if you plan on visiting Strawberry Hot Springs in the winter, a 4X4 car is required. More on that below!
Where to Stay
When deciding where to stay in Steamboat I wanted to have easy access to the mountain. There are no shortage of condos and rental homes in the area. Since my husband and I were on a kid-free (yay!) vacation, a simple hotel room worked well for us.
A popular option is the Steamboat Grand, which is right at the base of the two main gondola lifts. They have everything from standard hotel rooms to condos that would fit a family or group. However, it is also pretty pricey because of the location.
Instead we opted for the Homewood Suites by Hilton, which was slightly cheaper than the Steamboat Grand. Homewood Suites, as well as many hotels in the area, are serviced by free shuttle buses that take you from various locations around town to the base of the hill.
The other tipping point for deciding on Homewood Suites was the lovely and hearty free breakfast they provide. Eating at the resort is very expensive, especially on mountain. It was nice to start our days with a convenient, hot meal at no extra charge.
A comparable option to Homewood Suites would also be the local Residence Inn. This family-friendly lodge also provides transportation to the mountain, suite-style rooms great for families, and a free breakfast.
Getting around steamboat
When we arrived to Steamboat we were ready for dinner and went straight to the lively downtown area. Lively, it was, so much so we had to drive around for quite a bit before we could find a parking spot. We quickly realized why Steamboat provides an extensive, free shuttle system.
We ended up parking in a public lot at the rodeo grounds and then took a lovely 5-minute stroll along the Yampa River Trail to dinner. If we come back in the summer time I will definitely be taking a bike ride along the 7.5 mile paved pathway!
We contemplated taking the bus into town the other nights for dinner, but it was too cumbersome. All the bus routes would have to go to the main transit area by the mountain before transferring to downtown. Also, the buses stop running at 7:00 PM.
Therefore, we took a Lyft on Saturday night to avoid parking issues on and Sunday driving and parking wasn’t a problem because the town was less busy. If visiting there during the week, parking shouldn’t be as much as of an issue.
Where to eat in Steamboat
When we used to live in Colorado in the early 2000s Steamboat was a sleepy town. Deducing from heard many locals’ complaints – the introduction of Steamboat on the Ikon pass put an end to that!
On a positive note, though, Steamboat is bursting with so many amazing restaurants now. In fact, I enjoyed some of my top favorite gluten-free restaurant meals ever there!
My favorite meal was at The Laundry Kitchen & Cocktails. Apparently this is on the radar of a lot of people because reservations are a must, so plan ahead. You won’t want to miss a meal (or cocktail) here.
The chef, Nick Winden, won Colorado’s Restaurant Association Chef of the Year 2023, and I can attest he absolutely deserved it. I started off the meal with their Fiery Margarita, which was spicy but not intolerable. For dinner we shared small plates – Pow Pow Shrimp (made GF with rice flour), Charred Brussel Sprouts Hash, and Elk Steak Tips. My absolute favorite part of the meal was dessert – the chocolate pot de creme. I could have embarrassingly licked the bowl clean.
Other noteworthy restaurants we dined at was Besame for an amazing Paloma and fried plantains and Yampa River Icehouse, which had sticky, fall apart tender smoked BBQ. Although we didn’t have dinner here, we popped into Primrose for dessert and I practically asked the pastry chef for her autograph when we left. Plus, every dessert but one was gluten-free!
Recommended activities
Of course the highlight of the trip was snowboarding. We had the good fortune of almost 2 feet of fresh powder while were there! It was some of the most epic riding I have ever done. Typically I’m not a glades type of rider, but that is what Steamboat does best.
We rode up one lift with a nice gentleman who pointed out a not-to-be-missed hidden gem, Olympian trail tree run. There is no sign to mark it on the outside, but once you are in the glades there is signage to let you know you are there. For details on how exactly to get to it once you are on the mountain, see these excellent directions to the Sunshine Olympian Trail.
Bonus tips for traveling to Steamboat
As I mentioned before, we had visited Steamboat a few times before when we lived in Denver. Our primary reason to trek up to Steamboat was one of our favorite places ever – Strawberry Park Hot Springs.
Because of the increased tourism in Steamboat, visiting Strawberry Park now takes some preplanning. You must make reservations to come up to the hot springs, in a 2-hour block. We hadn’t realized this until we got there, so sadly we missed out.
If you are traveling up to Steamboat, this experience shouldn’t be missed though! It’s absolutely gorgeous and serene. I imagine the new reservation system is to maintain the beauty of the experience, so I guess it’s a necessary nuisance.
Another hot springs location has been built in town, called Old Town Hot Springs. This place doesn’t have the natural beauty of Strawberry Park, but it’s conveniently located and doesn’t require reservations. Also, I can imagine kids would find these springs more to their liking, with water slides and a large main hot pool.
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Amy says
I just put Sunshine Olympian Trail at the top of our list!
Melissa Erdelac says
It was the coolest run I have ever been on!
Sarah says
Looks like an awesome time!! Love the travel tips.
Melissa Erdelac says
Thanks Sarah!